SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 30 years ago this week in the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter paper copy…
KELLER’S WCW NITRO REPORT
APRIL 7, 1996
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER (ISSUE #383)
With Monday Nitro taking a week off, we’ll switch gears and review the recently revamped WCW Main Event… The show opened with Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan introducing the program from inside the WCW production studio recapping the Hulk Hogan & Booty Man challenge to Kevin Sullivan & Arn Anderson for the Apr. 15 Nitro and Giant’s re-turn to heel…
(1) Kevin Sullivan (mgd. by Jimmy Hart) beat Mike Hanner (Main Event exclusive). Lee Marshall & Dusty Rhodes handled commentary, although the voiceover dubbing was muffled…
An amateur video aired of Diamond Dallas Page sitting on the street holding a sign saying “I need a drink.” Page broke the amateur’s video camera so the amateur wanted WCW to help recoup his losses by paying him to continue to follow Page around town as part of a college documentary on the homeless…
Okerlund and Heenan introduced a replay of the finish of the three-way-tag from Apr. 8 where Johnny Grunge impersonated Brian Nobbs…
(2) Harlem Heat beat The Public Enemy via top rope DQ (from WorldWide). Not good…
Okerlund and Heenan discussed the Apr. 15 Nitro tag match stipulations…
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWTorch ’90s Pastcast” with Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(3) Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sgt. Craig Pittman beat The Barrio Brothers (from WCW Pro). Not good. Actually, really bad…
(4) Giant beat Lex Luger via DQ so Luger retained the WCW TV Title. The Giant beat on Luger for several minutes in very methodical action. Then Luger came back and hit Giant with a series of forearms and clotheslines, finally sending Giant to the mat. Jimmy Hart then jumped on the ring apron. As the ref was distracted by Hart, Giant was about to hit Luger with the megaphone when Sting made the save. The ref saw Sting and called for the DQ…
(5) The American Males beat The Blue Bloods (Bobby Eaton & David Taylor) when Bagwell pinned Taylor clean after a double dropkick. Best match of the show…
A lifeless collage of out of context matches. Heenan and Okerlund seem bored at best with their 3 minutes of total airtime linking various segments together. None of the matches had any context and without one interview on the program, it was too one-dimensional. It’s shows like this that make it all the more amazing they can produce a show with as much energy and vigor as Monday Nitro, but also explains the shortcomings of Nitro that still exist…
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